


Broken

by killerbatch066



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Lance Sweets Lives, Major Character Injury, Psychological Trauma, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:14:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22419841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerbatch066/pseuds/killerbatch066
Summary: Aubrey has a breakdown after the arrest of his so-called-father. Booth and Brennan take him home and try to comfort him in every way they can but he leaves.Things take a turn for the worst when he is found severely injured in his apartment after failing to show up at work the next day.
Relationships: James Aubrey/Seeley Booth, James Aubrey/Temperance Brennan, Seeley Booth/Temperance Brennan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, so I hope you'll like it.  
> I really like Aubrey as character, though my fav will always be my boi Sweets *^*
> 
> (I love torturing characters in any way :) I'm a bit psycho I think)
> 
> Oh well, enjoy!

He looked straight in the other man's eyes. He was nervous, and angry, and his long-forgotten tics had returned and were getting the upper hand on him; he tried not to think about how many times his fingers had been touching the flap of his jacket.  
He focused on the man in front of him, deepening his stare.

"It's been a while, _dad_ " his tone was calm, but everything in him showed all but his usual calm and kindness. His father smiled, obviously a fake smile, the one the young man knew he was going to use "I missed you, James" Aubrey felt like he was going to throw up: that _man_ didn't deserve to call him by his name.  
He forced himself to speak "I've thought about your request" "I'm glad you want to help me, my son" James' eyes were blazing with rage; he stood up from his seat "I don't" he said, coldly

He motioned to the team of five Agents to enter, and Booth, along with them, stepped into the Royal Diner, gun unholstered and handcuffs in hand "Philip Aubrey, you're under arrest for attempted corruption of a Federal Agent" one of the Agents was about to handcuff him when Aubrey placed a hand on his arm "I'm the one who has to do this" his voice shook slightly, as his hands did when the Agent handed him the handcuffs "Turn around" "Shouldn't you read me my rights?" his 'father' taunted; Aubrey looked at him, and a dangerous flash crossed his usually calm eyes "The only thing you should do is shutting the fuck up right now" he hissed, as he pushed him outside "You just want to be praised for arresting me" Philip Aubrey's voice was pure venom "You know what you are, James? You are a failure, a weak. You are worthless" something snapped inside the younger Agent, but 'luckily' for Aubrey Senior, Booth caught James before he could physically assault his 'father' "Woah, easy Aubrey. You and you, take this man away" the two Agents led Philip Aubrey away, and Booth and James were left alone.

Everything was silent for a minute or two, then the older Agent spoke "Are you alright?" he asked. Silence was the only response he got "Aubrey, talk to me" no reply was heard from the other man "James, please, talk to me" "He's right" Aubrey said, looking down "He's right about everything" Booth tried to touch his shoulder but even the smallest touch made Aubrey wince and move away; he closed his eyes, ashamed "See? Only a weak would react like that" "You're just shocked, James. Being upset doesn't mean being weak. I'm upset too, but it's okay, you're not alone" Booth gently hugged James, rocking him.

That was when the younger Agent finally let it out: he began to sob quietly, his breath fast and irregular, his whole body trembling "I-it h-hurts... it h-hurts s-so bad, Booth" "Ssh, it's okay, kid. I'm here, it's okay, I'm here" he whispered, as he rocked Aubrey like he was his son; he didn't care if it took him hours, he needed someone.

It took Booth almost four hours to have Aubrey feeling a little better "It's okay, James. Look at me, you're okay" "I'm sorry" he muttered quietly, looking down ashamed "Sorry? There's nothing to be sorry about. It's not your fault, okay? You have every right to feel upset" Aubrey shifted uneasily, still in Booth's arms "My foster fathers said I was a failure because I used to cry when they beated me" the older Agent looked at him in shock "I didn't know that" "No one knows that, it's not in my file" he let out a barely audible sigh "It's not the only thing you guys don't know about me" Booth was about to speak when a voice interrupted him

"Daddy! You're here!" Aubrey winced and covered his ears with his hands "Hi, Uncle James!" Booth's daughter was with her mother, Dr Brennan; she smiled at her father and her 'uncle' but her smile faded a little when she noticed Booth's concerned look "Daddy, what's wrong?" "Bones, can you and Christine wait outside?" "N-no, I... I'm fine, no need to worry" Aubrey's voice was weak, and he was paler than usual "I'm not buying it, Aubrey. You just had a breakdown, you're not fine" Christine was about to run and hug him when Booth took Aubrey outside "C'mon, get in the car" "I don't want to be a burden, Booth" "Aubrey, please. I can't let you go like that, not after what happened, so please, get in the car" James sighed and got in, and Brennan and Christine soon followed "Christine, honey, can you wait in the car for a second? Mummy and daddy need to talk" "Yes, mummy" The little girl sat next to Aubrey and smiled at him; he smiled back weakly while he thought _I don't deserve help. He's right, I'm just a failure, a worthless failure_ "Uncle James?" Christine's voice made him jump slightly "Yeah? Sorry, just thinking. It's been a rough day" he looked out from the car window and saw Booth and Brennan; they were probably talking about what had happened. Brennan seemed shocked and angry, and so was Booth, but a lot more, since he had seen almost everything. He tried to sleep, but the pain was hard to ignore, and he didn't want to scare Christine; he closed his eyes and prayed for sleep.

Meanwhile, ouside Booth's car, the two were talking "I can't believe it! How could his father say something like that?! Aubrey is a good man, he doesn't deserve to be called a failure" Brennan exclaimed "I know, damn it! You didn't see Aubrey's face when that man said it: he was ready to kill him" "What do you want to do, Booth?" the ma sighed "We're taking him with for the night, okay? I don't think we should leave him alone in his apartment" Brennan agreed, and together they got in the car "He has fallen asleep" she whispered, turnig around to see the young man asleep with Christine in his arms; he was smiling weakly, but still it was a smile.

They arrived home, and Booth got off and shook Aubrey awake while Brennan took their daughter in her arms "Mornin' sleeping beauty" "Mmhm, what...? Booth?" Aubrey was still half asleep but managed to stand up "Booth, I..." he began, but stopped, not knowing what to say "Thanks" "Let's go. You need to rest" Aubrey nodded weakly and, helped by Booth, he reached the door.

Brennan went to tuck Christine in her bed while her husband and James talked downstairs in the living room "I'm sorry for bothering you" "Stop apologizing, it's okay" Aubrey rubbed his left arm, feeling uncomfortable; he knew he had to tell someone, he knew he needed help. He just couldn't stop feeling a coward and a weak "There's something I want to tell you" he said, taking a few shaky breaths; Booth squeezed his hand "You don't have to if you don't feel ready"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aubrey tells Booth some secrets from his past, secrets he himself never really wanted to aknowledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like this story? I know it's a little sad but I can actually see Aubrey reacting like that at what his 'father' has done to him
> 
> (this won't be the last time I'll torture my second fav boi, I have other extreme things in store for Aubrey >:D)

_from the previous chapter:_

_"There's something I want to tell you" he said, taking a few shaky breaths; Booth squeezed his hand "You don't have to if you don't feel ready"_

"No, I... you need to know" his hand shook again, and he looked away. He took a deep breath then spoke "You know few things about me: you know that I turned my father in, and that I'm hypoglicemic, but these are the only things you actually know" Aubrey sighed, looking up from the floor "What you don't know is that I spent years being bullied and abused, and that all my foster parents were colleagues of my father. You can easily tell what had happened, but I want to tell you what they did to me, from 15 to 21 years old. So, since my mum died" Booth felt a pang in the chest, and his anger towards Aubrey Senior rose just as his affection for James.

The younger Agent's voice brought him back to reality.

"I was 14 when my mum died. She had been fragile after Philip Aubrey left, and died of a broken heart age 48. After she died, that man decided I had to live with some _friends_ of him" Aubrey looked away, ashamed, and Booth squeezed his hand again "It's okay, kid, you're safe" he nodded and began speaking again "They would usually beat the crap out of me. I still have the marks they left on my body" "May I?" Booth asked;

James stood up and took off his black FBI suit, then his white shirt, revealing old and new scars and cuts on his arms, old bruises on his neck together with stab wounds on his chest and sides, and whip marks on his back and shoulders. There wasn't a inch of his pale skin that was not marked in that awful way, but what shocked Booth the most was a previously-white-turned-red bandage on Aubrey's stomach

"What's that?" he looked down at what Booth was pointing at and shuddered "Yeah... beating and whipping were not the only things they liked to do to me..." "They raped you, didn't they?" "Not only that" he started to take off the bandage, hissing in pain "Aah, damn it. It still hurts like hell, in both ways" blood started dripping from Aubrey's wound and down his fingers; after he managed to remove the bloody bandage the result was horrific: there were scars on his stomach forming the word _WHORE_ in capital letters "Oh God, that's horrible..." Booth managed to say, upset "I know. They encarved this after raping me for the last time before my escape"

"Nobody will ever hurt you again" the older Agent said but was stopped by a bitter laugh that escaped Aubrey's lips and an even bitter smiled that crossed his face "Nobody but me. I already know I will do this again, Booth" he began walking towards the door when Brennan's voice stopped him "Aubrey" "Doctor Brennan. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up" the anthropologist just hugged him "You're not going anywhere" she said; he looked tired "Please, Dr B, I don't want to be a burden" "Mummy?" Christine's worried voice turned Aubrey's blood pure ice; he paled, dread rising in his chest, his breaths fast and ragged. He was havig a panic attack. He felt his memories resurfacing.

_"_ _Where are you, little brat?! Come down here, now!" he didn't look out from his hideout, he didn't move. He wasn't even breating, he was too scared. He was afraid every move he made would have lead the three men to him "Sanchez, upstairs, check the bedrooms. Donovan, you take the vents" "What about you, Connor? Where are you going to search the little brat?" the man, the worst of the trio, grinned evilly "I'll go check the closet" he cracked the electrical wire he used as whip on the floor_

_"If you find him first then you can go have your little fun with him, but I thinks it would be better if we got him together" the two other men laughed cruelly "You're right" "Yeah, let's get him to scream" the young boy shuddered,_ _dread rising in his chest 'No... please, God, help me' he begged silently, eyes closed and arms around his skinny body. He had been left starving after the previous month's bad beating, and now he was praying that the crumps of hunger didn't make him detectable_

_"Well, well, well, look who we got over here" he felt a hand around his neck, and his breath was caught in his bruised throat "L-let me go" he coughed, blood rising in it; Connor grinned "C'mon, be a good boy and entertain us" he said, as he stripped the boy "Please... please, no" he begged, tears shimmering in his brown eyes. Sanchez and Donovan appeared behind him "Mhm, I'm already hard" "Yeah, me too. We're going to have fun" the boy gulped, scared._

_He backed away until he felt the wall behind himself "N-no... please" Connor threw himself at him, and pinned him to the ground "_ _So, who wants to get inside him first?" he asked, an evil grin plasted_ _on his face._ _Donovan grinned "I do"_ _he unzipped his pants and slid his cock out of them, then placed himself above the scared boy and violently penetrated him, making him_ _yelp_

_You're tight, little brat" he said, as he moved his hips faster "Wanna join?" he asked his 'friends', who immediately agreed, both grinning. Sanchez placed himself under the boy while Connor above his face; he forced the boy to suck his cock, nearly suffocating him "You like it, you stupid, little slut, don't you?" the boy coughed, blood dripping from his livid lips "Say that you like it" Connor commanded "F-fuck you..." C_ _onnor started beating him, and the other two soon joined him, also using their knives to deeply encarve the word **WHORE** in the boy's flesh. They beat him until he was a bloody mess then left._

The flashback interrupted, and Aubrey found himself on the floor, surrounded by worried faces. He recognized Booth, Brennan and, to his horror, Christine.

He gasped for air, still in shock for the memory; he barely aknowledged Booth saying "I'm taking you to the hospital, Aubrey" but he instinctively backed away "N-no, I... I'm fine, it was just... just stress" he coughed and wrapped an arm around his waist "Aubrey, you're bleeding" "J-just let me go home, I'll be fine" both Brennan and her husband tried to argue but Aubrey just stepped out from the house and left, leaving a small track of red blood behind himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Booth finds Aubrey..
> 
> Suicidal prevention for my superboi

Aubrey reached his apartment and locked himself in his room as soon as he stepped in.

He felt dirty, useless, weak; he let himself fall on the floor, near the window, his body shaking with uncontrolled sobs. Through his tears he glanced at his hands, then at the door of the bathroom _I deserve it_ he thought _I_ _deserve to suffer, I deserve to die_

 _S_ tanding up on shaky legs, Aubrey reached the bathroom. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and realized he was bare-chested _Must have forgotten my clothes at Booth's_ his pale face reddened a little, and he even half-smiled, but his small happiness faded away, and Aubrey returned at what he was doing _I'm sorry, Booth, Brennan_ a single tear found its way down his cheek; he tightened the grip on the kitchen knife he had just above his chest, he raised it and struck the first blow. The blade sank several inches into his flesh but, though he felt terrible pain, he didn't stop. He struck another blow, then another, then another, until he was bleeding heavily from his chest and stomach. He had stabbed himself 19 times.

James closed his eyes, letting the dark claim him.

**The next day**

Booth was worried: Aubrey hadn't called back, and no one had seen or heard from him nor knew where he was "Max, it's Booth" _"Seeley, it's nice to hear you again. What do you need from your ol' man?"_ that put a small smile on the Agent's face: Max was right, he was kind of his dad now "Yeah, sorry. I'm going to a colleague's house, just to check on him. I don't know how he is, last night was pretty rough so it might take a while. Can you take care of Christine?" " _Temperance is coming too?"_ Max asked; Booth shook his head "No, I don't want to upset her in case something had happened to my co-worker" _"Well, I'm already at your's, Temperance has a longer shift this week so she asked me to_ _babysit Christine"_ "Oh, okay. Didn't know that. I'll call you back when I'm on my way home"

Booth was about to close the call when he heard his daughter's voice _"Is Uncle James okay, daddy?"_ he felt a twinge in the heart "I don't know, sweetie. I hope so" he said _"Can you tell Uncle James I really, really love him, and I really miss him? Can you, daddy? Please"_ "I will, sweetie. I have to go now, okay?" _"Keep me updated, Seeley. I really care about your partner"_ "Will do, Max. One more thing: he's not my _partner_ , just a colleague" _"As you say, young man. As_ _you say"_ the call ended, and Booth took a deep breath _Please, be fine Aubrey. Please_ he prayed silently, before exiting his office and the FBI building.

It didn't take him much to reach Aubrey's apartment but breaking down the door took a little longer "Aubrey!" he shouted, stepping in the room; it was quite dark, and there was a strong smell of blood _Oh, God. Aubrey, what have you done..._ "James! James, answer me!" Booth's voice was full of concern and terror, and he had tears in his eyes "James, please" he heard a weak sigh coming from the bathroom, and he approached, unsure of what he would find behind that door "James, it's Seeley" he said, gun holstered but handy.

He paled when he stepped in: Aubrey was in a pool of blood, deep stab wounds all over his body that were half infected, blood coming out from his nose and livid lips and dripping from his fingers. He had deep cuts on his arms and legs, half infected too "Hold on, kid, I'm calling an ambulance. Hold on, James, hold on, keep fighting" he didn't seem to be conscious but he moved his hand a little "This is FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, I need immediate help, now. My teammate is bleeding out" " _What are his conditions, Agent Booth?"_ Booth described Aubrey's conditions to the medic, while trying to keep the younger Agent awake

"C'mon, man, c'mon. James, look at me, open your eyes and look at me. Please, James" he barely moved his head "T-they're gon-na f-fire me..." he coughed, a small track of blood finding its way down his chin "No. No, no, no, no one is going to fire you. We want to help you, not making you suffer more" _"The ambulance is on its way, Agent"_ "Thank you" Booth focused again on Aubrey when the latter tried to speak again "You're w-waisting your... t-time with me. W-why?" "Because I don't want to lose you too, James" they heard the sirens, and Booth squeezed his hand

"You'll be fine, I promise you"

Aubrey blacked out, his head on Booth's chest.

He woke up with the feeling of someone touching him. He immediately jerked away, his eyes open and scared, his breath ragged, and his whole body shaking "W-where am I?" he didn't seem to have control over his voice, because he flinched when it came out higher than he wanted

"It's okay, you're in the hospital, sweetie" Angela said, but that didn't seem to calm Aubrey, instead it scared him more; he coughed and gasped for air, terror rising in his chest "Why?! Why didn't it work?!" he sobbed quietly. The team looked at him in shock and concern, especially Booth and Brennan "Why did you save me, Booth? Why couldn't you leave me to die?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added a few things. I'll retake it: chapter 4 will focus on Aubrey's mental health, his relationship with the team (especially Booth and his family) and on his job as an FBI Agent

**Author's Note:**

> I think I'm going to add chapters when I have time (I'm a lot busy these weeks :( )


End file.
